“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.” (Hebrews 11:13-14 NLT)
Our guide spoke it over us, just after we boarded the bus that will take us from bustling Tel Aviv to each holy site and back again in eight short days. “You are not a tourist, you are a pilgrim.” His words sent me thinking, contemplating the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim.
Tourists, are here to see stuff. They come to observe, experience and even consume some of the resources. They exchange money for lodging, meals and entertainment and they go home as quickly as they came: back to ordinary lives and likely unaltered by their days abroad.
Pilgrims are are quite a different breed. Pilgrims are on a purposeful journey toward an intended destination. They crave more than a change of scenery and choice foods, but a profound experience that will somehow transform their soul. They come to Israel in hopes of absorbing a bit more of the history of their faith, believing that the Bible stories will come alive and take up residence within their own skin. They peer through ruins with active imaginations about the restoration yet to come.
Our guide is right, we are indeed, pilgrims. But the Holy Land, as it stands today, is not our ultimate destination. No, the ground we traverse this week is special, beautiful and historic but it’s not precise soil we are seeking. This place, as ancient and spiritually-rich as it is, it’s only a shadow of the true Promised Land, a strong whisper of the soul wholeness we all seek. We are pilgrims passing through on our way to a better land; the life with Jesus yet to come. This trip to Israel only serves to heighten my longing for my permanent Home.
“But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not afraid to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:16 NLT)
Lord, let us never forget that this world is not our home. We are not here as tourists, but pilgrims still en route. Help us keep this mindset at work, at home, at leisure and in travel. May our experiences in this life only serve to grow our desire for the next life with You. Amen.